During a conversation with The Straits Times (via Here Be Geeks), he said, “I like the idea of playing a villain. … I did that just because it’s a different thing for me to do.” This is the first mention of Redford’s character being a villain, and adds an interesting fold to what we know of the Captain America: The Winter Soldier plot.

Previously Redford told Spinoff Online that he’s playing “the head of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” a man named Alexander Pierce. He also emphasized that this role is different from ones he’s taken in the past.

“The Captain America thing is just a very simple thing,” he said. “I wanted to do something different. I wanted to do something just to be different. Something bold, different. And that felt like a good thing to do. That was it, nothing more to it than that. Well, it’s bold in terms of expectations, I guess. ”

Redford has been a leader in the past, so it makes sense that the “different” element of his character could be that he’s a villain. Here Be Geeks speculates that Redford’s Pierce could be an updated version of the Winter Soldier’s Russian handler General Aleksander Lukin, who later gets possessed by the Red Skull. That certainly would help tie this movie back into the first Captain America.

Directed by brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is believed to be based on the Captain America storyline of the same name, which revealed Captain America’s sidekick Bucky Barnes didn’t die as expected during the war. Instead, an amnesiac Bucky got snatched by the Soviets, fitted with a bionic arm and programmed to serve as an assassin known as the Winter Soldier. The secret is revealed in the present day after Barnes attacks the Red Skull and blows up part of Philadelphia. The film opens in 3D on April 4, 2014.

What is most pathetic is that the Captain America character is one that Marvel seriously can’t even pretend was created by Stan Lee, since it is a well-known fact that it was started by Jack Kirby and his earlier partner Joe Simon when Lee was still a snotnosed kid wearing a propeller beanie. But still Marvel and Disney do not give Kirby’s family a penny for any of their uses of his creative genius for their movies—why? because Marvel and Disney are heartless, tasteless and greedy.

http://www.facebook.com/lee.m.burns Lee Michael Burns

yeap agreed look at what’s happening with the avengers 2!!! how dickish they are towards chris hemsworth, chris evans and scarlett johanssen for example

parabased

Why should they give credit to anyone?
They own the character.
The only reason Stan Lee’s name is attached to 90% of all marvel related items is because Stan Lee is a comic Icon.
More so than even Jack Kirby.
Plus he has a contract that says Marvel has to include his name.

Huskie

Maybe he really is the head of shield. Nick Fury could of got ousted after disobeying orders in the Avengers.

Jake

Oh let it go.

Josh

The actors are the ones being greedy in that case.

Jake

Or more likely he is a Cap Villain posing as a SHIELD official.

Jake

Jack Kirby and Joe Simon are not even alive anymore and Marvel owns the characters anyway. They are not beeing greedy.

ellid

That’s sure what I’m thinking. The first name is right, the age is right, Lukin’s story starts with a flashback to WWII (which they have already said they’ll be having, thus Peggy’s appearance), if he’s the villain he’s controlling the Winter Soldier…it all fits and fits very well.

ellid

They also are credited as the creators of the character in every single comic book and movie.

George S.

Bloody brilliant.

PrincessBunny

In movie logic, it would make the most sense if Redford turned out to be the Red Skull.
Wouldn’t that be the most dramatic reveal possible?

PietroMaximoff

just jealous u didn’t think of it first, right?

fearitself

So, he’s playing the head of S.H.I.E.L.D, who is secretly Alexander Pierce or Lukin, whatever, a russian communist, who is in control of The Winter Soldier and who also gets possessed by the Red Skull probably by touching the cosmic cube. It makes the most sense as Red Skull disappeared at the end of first movie, so where did he go?